Sequence selector for automatic phonographs



Nov. 7, 1939.

SEQUENCE SELECTOR FOR AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPHS Filed July 24, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. J. CL OER 2.178.886.

Nov. '7, 1939. H.,J.:LOER v ssolinncs SELECTOR FOR Auibmmqljnouosimns 1 v luv -' Ill I I lzlv'ewj-vor I Filed July 24, 19371] {s ets-sh et 2 j k T H Nov. 7, 1939. H. J. CLOER 2,178,886

ISEQUENCEVSEL'ECTOR FOR AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPHS Filed July 24, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 an ;sponding parts throughout the severafviews.

Patented N t, 7,1939

2,178,886 s I, ,ssoUENcE ssrisc'ro'a ron aurom'rro" "t li fc i nnn mm Robson-J. Clocr,'- Fort ,Worth, Ten, assigno'r The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, North Tunawanda, N. Y., a' corporation of Ohio Application July 24, 193 7,'Serial No; 155,481

' 10Claims. (clogs-mi I rut-2.,

phonographs but moreparticuiarly to certain new and useful improvements in the selective mechanism thereof.

It has for its chief object to provide a selective mechanism for automatic phonographs which is so designed and constructed as to effect the plays ing of the records in a definite order as predetermined. by their selection, that isfto'iefiectgthe sequence playing of the records in'the order pre 1 selected.. A I

Another object of the inventionis the provision of a sequence selector mechanism for phonographs which is simple and compact in construction, which is reliable in operation, and which is adapt able to the selective or multi-record' "playing phonographs nowinuse.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described'and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In accompanying drawings; j Figure 1 is a'rear elevation of a multi-record phonograph showing my sequence selectormechanism associated therewith. Figure 21s a top plan view of the same. Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section taken substantially in the plane of line 3-8, Figure 2. Figure! is a: horizontal section taken on line 4-4, Figure 3. 5 is'a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5,"

Figure 4. Figure 6 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the sequence'selector mechanism. Figure 'l is a face view of the button-selector panel and buttons. v

Similar characters of. reference indicate corre- 'By wayprexample, I have shown my sequence selector in connection with a multi-selective phonograph, the numeral l0 indicating the plat-. 4. form or supporting frame of the phonographchassis, II the vertically movableturntable,l2v the reproducer or tone armicarryins the usual record-engaging needle, and l'i-aplurality of pivoted record-carriers normally disposed in i5 stack-like fashion at one side of the turntable and adapted-to be selectively swung horizontally to a position over the turntable, whereby the latter, upon being elevated, picks the record from the carrier andbrings it into play position with .50 the'reproducer, and after the playing ofthe record. the turntable is lowered and-deposits-that "record on its carrier, after which the latter is "swung to its position in the record-stack. I j The record carriers ll arepivotedin "super-f jlposed relation on an upright post-l4 and each is adapted to engage to the vertically of the machine or cabinet, so that if records corresponding to buttons,

buttons)! and has 'a notch 55 in its hub with whicha coupling pin it of a combined vertically adjusted and horizontally' swinging selector member or yoke I"! This selector member is guided on an'upright post l8 which depends be- 5 [low the platform i0. The'means forselectively actuating the selector'y'oke in' a vertical directionconsists of a'selector cam lilmounted'ona selector shaft and'a vertically swinging lever Zjhneontact intermediate its ends with said cam '10 r and connected at its free end with theselector yoke, 'ilthroughthe medium of a link 22 and attaching lug 23, whereby the yoke is-raised and lowered to bring its coupling pin l6 into engageme'nt with the selected; carrier. The means for swinging the yoke llto' prcjectthe selected carriersover the turntable'consistsofa cam 24 m'ountedon a shaft 25 and a" vertically swinging lever '26 in contact intermediate its ends with saidicam and connected at its free end withethe a0 yoke-through the medium of a link 21, the latterbeing connected to a-radial arm 28 freely'mounted on the post l8 and engaging an upright slot 29 in the yoke, whereby'the lattermay move'vertically relative to this yoke-'swingingemechanism. g]

Motion is transmitted to the shafts 20 and 25 and ovable turntable H by an electric motor 30, this drive mechanism being substantially the same'as that shown in the-Wilcox retentive-2,002,236, dated May 21, 1935, and a as it forms noparticular part ofthe present in'-' ventlon, it has not been deemed necessary to showitindetail.

The sequence selector'mechanism is associated A with the selector yoke ll and is so constructed as 3| to select a plurality ofrecords atone time in advane' and then have the machine automatically play those selected records in the same sequence asselected, the numeral 3| indicating the se'lector buttons suitablyarrangedon the frontlslde a a userfselects numbers 6, 1 and 3, the records will beplayed in that selected sequence. In its preferred form, this sequence selector mechanism is constructed as follows:

Disposed below the platform "land adjacent to the selector yoke i1 is a frame forsupporting the working parts of-the mechanism, this 'frame consisting of a top plate 32, vertically spaced lower plates 33, 34 and spacer posts 35. Plvotally 5 for individual, horizontally-swinging mounted movement between'the frame-plates 32-, 33 are a plurality ofselector levers corresponding in number to the record-earners l3 and selector mounted in spmed-vertlcai relaso 'its outer end with a pivoted trip finger 40 having aspring-ll applied thereto for urging it to a position alined with its lever. During its fore and aft swingingmovementfeach lever 36 is in v guiding contact with an arcuate flange 42 applied to a segmental plate 43 secured to the pivot post 31, the lever havinga follower or projection 44 thereon which rides the outer face of its companion flange during its clockwise movement and both the inner and outer faces of such flange during respective portions of its counter-clockwise movement. At the end of its clockwise stroke, the lever-projection 44 rides oil the spring or tail-like extension 45 of the segmental-flange 42, so that on the return stroke of the lever such projection engages the inner face of said springand flange, displacing the lever bodily inward, until its projection encounters a by-pass or notch 46 in such flange, whereupon theprojection again engages the outer side of the guide flange, atthe sometime shifting-the lever 36 bodily outward to 30.

itsnormal position seen at the right side of Figure 4.

These levers are releasably held in their normal retracted or non-selected position by companion dogs 41 pivoted intermediate their ends at 48 and each having their hooked inner end disposedtwllp lby spring pressure in "plates 32, 33.

companion lever 36. These dogs are releasably controlled by the selector buttons thand for this purpose each-button is connected to its companion.

dog'by a rock arm and link 5|, so that upon depression of a-selector button, the companion dog is released andthe associated lever 36 is a clockwise direction to "a selective position.

Cooperating with the selector levers 35, and

"functioning-.tojcontrol the sequence playing of the records in the order .called for by the selector buttons depressed, are companion selector bars 52, one for each lever, which are disposed in an upright position radially relatively to the pivotv post 31 and are guided for independent vertical displacement in openings formed inthe frame- The'se bars are disposed in the path of movement of the lever-fingers and each is provided in its inner'edge with avertical row of notches 53, one 'for each lever-finger, the left hand or outermost'bar, viewing Figure 4, being normally held by a spring 54 in an elevated position withits notches out of horizontal alinement with the notches of the remaining bars and likewise out or line with the respective lever-fingers, so that this. outermost bar forms an abutment and-arrests the movement of whatever lever 38 happens to be released in accordance with the first selection made .by a given push button. The remaining selector bars are normally held Li a lowered position by companion springs 85, in which position their-respective notches I3 are transversely alined andin the plane of movement of the companion levers 38, so iihatwhen one or another of these levers is released by the push buttons Il, they will freely traverse the alined notches of the normally-depressed'bars l2.

. The selector bars I! are so spaced circumferentially that the lever-fingers 4| bridge adjoining bars and when the first-released lever is swung in a clockwise direction upon actuation of its companion push button 3|, it will travel through the series of notched bars until it reaches the endmost one, when it will be arrested thereby. In this position, the finger of that lever is adapted to engage a notch of the juxtaposed bar 52 and elevate the latter to a position wherein its notches are out of line with those of the remaining bars to the right. For this purpose, each finger 40 has a transversely inclined or angular tip 56, the leading end of which abuts the left hand bar of a pair, viewing Figure 4, while the trailing end thereof registers with an adjoining notch of the right hand bar of such pair, thereby lifting and sustaining saidlast-named bar in a position wherein its notches are out of line with the remaining bars. Subsequently with the pressing of another named pair and in the same manner the trailing end of-the finger of the last-selected lever will f engage the next adjoining bar to the right and sustain it in an elevated position and so on.

With the selector levers '30 in their respective projected positions for predetermining'the sequence selection of the records chosen, the record changing mechanism of the phonograph, including the vertically and horizontally movable selector yoke I I, is brought into. action for swinging the selected carriers to and from play position. I For this purpose, I provide a pivoted stop arm 81 which is applied to a collar 58 slidable on the yoke-carying post I! andwhich'moves vertically with the yoke in response to the movements imparted to it by the cam l8 and lever 2|. This stop arm is so positioned or guided on the post it! that it travels in a vertical plane between the two endmost selector bars 52, as shown in Figure 4, and it hasa tail 59 thereon which limits its downward-swinging movement but which permits it to swing upward, as during the downward movement of the selector yoke and associated parts. As the yoke II travels upwardly to a given record-selecting position, the stop arm l'l abuts the finger 40 of the endmost projected or first-selected lever 36 and arrests the yoke at the [elevation for coupling it to the corresponding out over the turntable I I by the cam 24, lever 28 and link 29. As in the Wilcox patent referred to, the turntable then rises, picks the record from the carrier'and into contact with the reproducing needle. After the playing ofthe record is com.- pleted the turntable is lowered, the played record is deposited in its carrier and the latter swung record-carrier I 3, after which the carrier is swung back to the stack, after which the next record to be played is brought ou Immediately after the carrier bearing the played record is returned to the record-stack, 'it .is necessary to release the companion selectorlever 36 from between the first pair of bars I! and bring the next selected lever from its adjoining position to that held by the first-named lever to thereby eflect the projected selection of the next carrier in the sequence-selected. To this end, it is necessary to lower the normally elevated or endmost bar I! to bring its notches in alining regis'terwith the notches ofthe remaining bars, so that the first-projected lever II will bereleasedthroughanadjoiningnotchinits abutting bar and continue to swing in a clockwise 1 direction until arrested by'the left-hand spacer endmost bar is only momentary, merely sufllcient to release-the selector lever abutting it, after which it is returned to its elevated position by its spring 54 to form an abutment for the next selected lever 36. This lowering of the .endmost selector bar may be efiected through a properly timed cam 60 mounted on the cam shaft 25 and engageable with a trip lever 61 whose free end abuts the oil'set lower end of said bar to momentai-ily lower it so as to release the first-projected lever. During the movement of this lever through its escaping bar-notch, the next adjoining bar 52' is lowered by its spring 55 to bring one or another of its notches 53 into register with the next lever,- thereby releasing that lever and' causing it to swing clockwise until arrested by the endmost bar, which, 'at this stage, is in its normal elevated'position to arrest that second leverlin the position previously held by the first-selected one. In this position of the sequence selector mechanism, the next record in order for play is then brought out of the stack and played in the manner previously described. This same cycle of operations continues until the entire program selected has been played, and in this connection the records are played in the order orsequence originally determined at the selector button panel.

' Any desirable means may be employed for returning the selector levers 36 to their original positions, after abutting the left-hand post 35,

- in readiness of re-selection. The means shown in the drawings-consist of pull rods 62, having downwardly bent ends 62*, one for each selector lever, and each of which is adapted to engage a corresponding opening 63 in'the inner end of the lever, so that when a pull is exerted on such rod, its coupled selector lever will be swung counter-clockwise until its pin 49 latches behind the companion spring-pressed, buttoncontrolled, dog 41. During this counter-clock: wise movement, the lever projection 44 engages the inner face of the arcuate flange 42 and retracts the lever bodily inwardly to bring its trip finger 46 out'of the path of the inner edges of the selector bars 62. Adjacent the end of this return stroke, the projection 44 is again directed through the flange-notch 46 to shift the lever bodily outward to bring the trip finger in position for selective control and in the op erating path of the selectorbars.

The several pull rods 62 are flexibly connected by springs 64 with a common frame member 65 guided at its top and bottom on ledges 66 provided at .the corresponding ends of a bracket 61 suitably attached to the chassis of the ma-' chine. This frame member is pivotally connected at 68 to a link 63 with a lever Ill which bears against a cam 11 fixed on the shaft 25, the cam functioning to rock said lever to exert a pull on the frame member and its rods 62 to in turn" swing a coupled selector lever 36 therewith the; its initial position. In the position of the parts? shown in Figures 4 and 5, theends of the pull rods are in position for coupling engagement or register-with :any onelof the companion selector levers which have reached the position shown at the extreme left in Figure 4. The pivoted frame member 65 carries pins 12 at its top and bottom which engage corresponding oblique slots 13 .in the bracket-ledges 66, so that when the frame member is pulled in one direction or the other it is compelled to laterally swing in or out. When a coupled selector lever 36 is restored to its initial position and latched to its 76 dog 41, the companion pull rod 62 may be released ordisplaced from the lever-opening 63 by acorresponding cam face 14 formed onthe bracket 61 and arranged in the final path of inward swing of the frame member 65. As shown in Figure 4 the opposite side edges of the inner 5 arms of the selector levers are preferably beveled to enable the pull rods to ride idly over the same during their fore and aft strokes. The return stroke of the pull rods and associated parts is effected by a spring I5 attached to the actuat- 10 'ing lever 16. The cam II is so timed in the 'cycle of operations of the machine as to be rendered operative during theperiod between that of playing a given record and bringing another record in position for play.

Means are also providedfor cancelling a given selection or selections once made should the user decide .to change his program selection, these means acting to'restore the projected selector levers .36 to their initial non-selective position. go To this end, I provide a yoke or tie member 16 movable about the axis of the selector lovers to successively engage and swing them to their starting or initial position. This yoke is freely mounted on the pivot post 31 and is fixedly con- 25 nected to a gear 11 meshing with a companion gear 18 fixed on a shaft IO-having an actuating knob 60 thereon, whereby upon turning said shaft motion is transmitted to the yoke 16 to turn it through the operating path of the selector le-' 30 vers and engage those which happen to be in its path for restoring them to their initial positions. During such 1 restoring movement, the trip fingers Ill merely trip past the selector bars J2, being adapted to freely swing about their 5 plvots and being restored to normal position by their springs ll. As shown in Figure 2, the cancelling knob Bil is positioned for convenient operation adjacent the selector buttons 3|.

Any suitable and well known coin control 0 mechanism may be used'in connection with the phonograph for controlling the starting of the motor 36 to operate the parts controlled thereby.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable, a plurality of record carriers selectively movable to and from a position over the turntable, adjustable means movable to selective positions and including a part operatively engageable with one or another of the carriers for moving them 50 to and from a playing position, individual means corresponding in number to the carriers for selecting in advance a plurality of records to be played, adjustable sequence selector elements releasably controlled by and corresponding in numher to the individual. selecting means and successively movable at predetermined times to a selective-governing position in the selective path of movement of said adjustable-carrier-moving means, and yieldably mounted escapemcnt means normally disposed in the path of the selective movement of said selector elements, the latter having means ithereon engageable with said escapemcnt means for moving them at predetermined times out of such path of selective o5 movement. I

2. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable, a plurality of record carriersselectively'movable to and from a position over the turntable, adjustable means movable to, selective positionsand operatively engageable with one or another of the carriers for moving them to and from a playing position, individual means corresponding in number to the carriers for selecting in advance a plurality of records to be played, ad-

justable sequence selector elements corresponding in numberto the individual selecting means and releasably connected thereto for movement to a selective-governing position in the selective 5 path of movement of said adjustable carriermoving means, and displaceable means disposed in the path of movement of said selector ele- -ments for controlling their sequence adjustment, said selector elements and said displaceable means having complementary engagement por- =-tions thereon for governing the sequence movements of the selector elements.

3. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable, a plurality of record carriers selectively movable 5 to and from a position over the turntable, ad-

justable means operatively engageable with one or another of the carriers for moving them to and from such positions, and a sequence selector mechanism for governing said carrier-moving selecting means, means engageable with said selector elements for normally retaining them in 3 non-selective positions and operatively connected to the companion selective means for governing their release to selective positions, means for urging said selector elements to such selective positions, and displaceable means disposed in the projective path of and controlled by the selector elements for releasably governing their successive projections into the path or said adjustable'carrier-engaging means, said displaceable means corresponding in number to the se-- 40 lector. elements and adjustably .displaceable by the latter at predetermined times to and from a N released position in the projecting path 01- travel 01' said elements.

4. In an automatic phonograph, a turntable, a

plurality of record carriers selectively movable to and from a position over the turntable, ad-

justable meansmovable to selective positions for operative engagement with one or another of the carriers for moving them to and from such positions, and a sequence selector mechanismfor governing said carrier-moving means including individual means for selecting in advance a plurality of records to be played, sequence selector levers pivotally mounted in operative relation to and governed by said individual selecting means and projectable in predetermined sequence to positions in the selective path of movement of the carrier-moving means asordered by said selecting means, and displaceable w selector .bars corresponding in number to said levers and disposed in the operating path thereof for successively controlling the sequence movement of the leversto acommon position for selective engagement by said record-moving means,

5 said bars and selector-levers having'complementary engageable means for governing such sequence movement-oi the levers.

5. In an automatic phonograph, the combina-- tion with a plurality of record carriers 'movable to and from an operative'position relative to the turntable and adjustable means selectively engageable with the carriers for moving them to such position, of a sequence selector mechanism for adiustably controlling said carrier moving 75 means consisting of a plurality of superposed,

, means consisting of a plurality of superposed,

pivoted selector levers corresponding in number to the carriers and successively movable in predetermined sequence irom a normal, non-selecting position to a selecting position in the adjustable path of movementoi the carrier-moving means, displaceable 'bars corresponding in number to said selector levers and disposed be tween the non-selecting and selecting positions thereof for governing the successive movements tothe last-named position, means connected to said bars for normally urging them to a position to trap the movement of the levers, and complementary means on said levers and said bars for moving the latter to a non-trapping position to cause the sequence, movement of said selector levers to their selective governing positions.

6. In an automatic phonograph, the combina-' tion with a plurality of record carriers movable to and from an operative position relative to the turntable and adjustable means selectively engageable with the carriers for moving them to such position, of a sequence selector mechanism for adjustably controlling said carrier moving means consisting of a plurality of sup rposed, pivoted selector levers correspondingin number to the carriers and movable in predetermined sequence from a normal, non-selecting position to a selecting position in the adjustable path of, movement of the carrier-moving means, means for urging. said levers to a selective position, displaceable means for controlling the sequence movement of said selector levers to their selective governing positions consisting-of escapement members corresponding in number to the selector levers and normally disposed in the selective. path of movement thereof for interrupting such movement, said levers having means thereon engageable with said escapement members for displacing them at predetermined times to noninterrupting positions, and means for restoring I said levers at a predetermined time to their normal, non-selecting position.

'7. In an automatic phonograph, the combination with a plurality of record carriers movable to and Irom an operative position relative to the turntable and adjustable means selectively engageable with the carriers for moving them to such position, 01' a sequence selector mechanism for adjustably controlling said carrier moving pivoted selector levers corresponding in number to the carriers and movable in predetermined sequence from a normal, non-selecting position to a-selecting position in the adjustable path of movement of the carrier-moving means for governing its selective position, means for moving said selector levers toward theirselective goveming position, selector means companion to said levers and actuated by the user for selecting a program of records to be played, means actuated by said selector means for releasably retaining said selector'levers in their non-selecting positions, said levers being 'released for movement upon the actuation oi! the companion selector means to record-selecting position, and displaceable selector bars disposed in the path oi movement of said levers for controlling the sequence movement oi the latter to selective governing positions. r g

8. In'an automatic phonograph, the combination with a plurality of record carriers movable team! from" an operative position relative to the turntable and adjustable means selectively engageable with the carriers for moving them to such .position, of a sequence selector mechanism 7 for adjustably controlling said carrier moving means consisting of a plurality of superposed,

pivoted selector levers corresponding in number to the carriers and movable in predetermined notches normally out of register with those of the remaining bars to form an abutment ior successively arresting the levers in selective governing position, and the notches in the-remaining bars being adapted for engagement by selected levers for successively and the displacement of next adjoining bars to displaced positions to form abutments for following selected levers.

' 9. In an automatic phonograph, the combination with a plurality-of record carriers movable to and roman operative position relative to the turntable and adjustable means selectively engageable with the carriers for moving them to such position, of a sequence selector mechanism for adjustably co trolling said carrier. moving means consisting of a plurality of superposed,

pivoted selector levers corresponding in number tothe carriers and movable in predetermined se- .quence froma normal, non-selecting position to the adiustable operative path' and for governing the selective engagement of the carrier-moving means therewith, means applied to each of said leversior urging them to swingtoward a selecting position, selector means associated with each lever for releasably retaining them in rality oi displacable selector ing in number to said levers and disposed radially about and in the path of movement-of such levers, said bars having a row of notches therein for the passage or one or another of the companion levers, means applied to said bars a selecting position in for yieldingly resisting their-movement out or,

normal position, the foremost bar of the group having its notches normallyoutoi register with those of the meat tor successively remaining bars to form an abutthe adjustable, operative tion with a plurality of I or another of the companion le-' vers, the foremost bar of the group having its alternately governing non-selecting position, a ;plu-

bars correspond-' arresting the levers in selective governing position and the remaining bars being successively displaceable by selectedlevers to positions for successively arresting them in predetermined radial positions, and means operatively controlled at a predetermined time in the movement momentarilydisplacing said endmost selector I a selected-record carrier for bar to bring one or another or its notches into registering relation with the abutted lever to cause its escapement from its selective governing position and allow the next sequence posietionedlever to move i.to abutting engagement with the endmost bar and occupy its selective governing position. v

10. In an automatic phonograph, the combinarecord carriers movable to and from an operative position relative to the turntable and adjustable means selectively engageable with the carriers for moving them to such position, of a ing means consisting of a plurality of superposed,

pivoted selector levers correspondingin number to the carriers and movable in predetermined normal, non-selecting position to a selecting position in the adjustable operative sequence from a gment of the carrier-moving means-l therewith,

meansapplied tov each of said leversfor urging them to swing toward apredeterminedselecting position, selector means associated with each lever for releasably retaining them in non-selecting'position, a plurality of displaceable selector bars corresponding in number to said levers and disposed radially about and in the'path of move-" ment-of such levers and'constituting :abutments said bars havinga r'ow'of notches therein in spacedirelation corresponding to the selector levers, the foremost selector bar havin its notches normally 1 out of register withthelevers tororm: an abutment for successively arresting the levers in se-.

\ sequence selector .mechanism for adjustably controlling said carrier niov- T path and for governing the selective engage- 3i for temporarily arresting the movement of the, Y I latter at successive radial positions:

lective governing position and ithe remaining bars having their notches normally, in transverse alinement for registration of the respec tive levers therewith, those portions of the levers traversing said bar-notches being inclined and bridging adjoining bars, whereby the leading edge or each-lever with and is adapted to displace the adjoining notches are out of bar to' aposition wherein its register with the succeeding lever, and means for successively restoringsaid levers at a predetermined time to'their normal nonselecting positions.

' l HOBSON J. CLOER.

v is adapted toa'but o ne bar and the trailing edge of such lever registers 

